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Four Seasons Hotels In Europe
Introduction
A marketing plan shows the marketing efforts of an organization. It represents the company’s marketing strategy for a certain period. It should be made including the employees so that they can feel confident about attaining the company’s objectives (Cooper 24). The marketing plan mostly includes a well-defined description of the company’s competitors, the demand for the services and products of the organization and also the strengths and weaknesses of the company.
A marketing plan’s purpose is to show the management of a business the business current market position. The marketing plans made have a life of one to five years. This is because there are changes that are expected within the years, with the way technology is advancing markets are expected to evolve. The employees may leave and customers may be lost while others are gained. It shows what will be done so that the organization can attain its objectives. The business plan is more confused as a marketing plan but it is not the same thing because the business plan represents what the organization is about and its goals (Doole 34). The location of the company, staff, financing strategies and also the vision are included in the business plan. This means that the business plan is the constitution of the business, it then leads to the development of a marketing plan.
The Four Seasons Hotels in Europe has adapted the marketing strategy of using social media. The social media is where almost everyone resides, everybody is exposed to the social media and hence information is well spread. The company uses the social media to engage in conversations with their customers, tell them about new products, thank them for using their services and also advertise their current services (Groucutt 45). The company has ensured that all their consumers get their brand online, they have websites about them where customers can read their magazines and they have a manager who works on the website.
The Four Seasons Hotels since 1998 it has been named as one of the best top 100 company to work for. In the year 2012 the company’s revenue was 5.6 billion Euros and its operating income was 526 million Euros and by the end of the financial year its profit was 80million Euros. The company properties include 3,500 hotels which are in five continents. It also runs properties for real estate owners which earn them three per cent of the gross income and also 5 per cent of the profits from running the properties (Doole 86). The Four Seasons Hotels has sophisticated venues whereby people meet for business meetings; there are also luxurious receptions that are intended for parties holding a capacity of about 600 people. There are also gardens that are attractive especially because they can be viewed from the rooms.
Global trends shape the world and help to focus on the challenges that may be experienced in the future. Global economies are interconnected and hence leading to companies working with the government. There are six long term developments when it comes to global trends that can be used to shape the world. These are demographic shifts; this is the increase in population of the youth, urbanization and also the growing middle class. This leads to reshaping both the world and the society (Groucutt 66). The other long term development is the increase in technology innovation which leads to a smart mobile world. There is also the government which leads to enhancing the ties with the private sectors. There are also the emerging markets that lead to increased global power. There is also the global banking and lastly cleantech which is a competitive advantage. These trends are the same in the world.
The Four Seasons Hotels plans to continue adding to its portfolio more hotels and resorts. Its plan in the next five years is to expand in other countries where they are doing well and also where they have not established themselves. It plans to invest in countries like China and India and Moscow. The company also intends to go out and get more experienced and well known staff especially the chefs so as to increase their number of customers (Cooper 75). The company also hopes with the growth in technology innovation their advertising using the internet will continue to bear fruits. The company plans to continue communicating with their customers using the social media.
The company has faced competition since its inception and when starting in London its main competitors were Claridge and The Connaught but Four Seasons Hotel discovered that the two hotels were treating their customers according to their social class. The Mandarin hotel which after the Four Seasons Hotel was opened decided to use $ 110 on a new project. The hotel has 115 rooms which are near the landmark shopping centre; the two companies compete in their fabrics and furniture too. The Mandarin with its developments of having spas and Chinese art aims at attracting the tourists with disposable income ((Doole 72). The company gets its customers for the fine food and the good services they offer their customers which include picking them with Rolls-Royce limousines at the airport. The Four Seasons Hotel also has tried to gain the higher market share and has gone to extent of hiring designers so as to match with the culture of their customers and has worked on having the best modern spa and also providing the best services.
The competitors Mandarin boasts of its heritage and this is what it has over the Four Seasons Hotels. The sales manager is quoted saying that the hotel like to have chocolate sauce on their vanilla. The changes in the market however will lead to the hotel having more modern facilities other than the historic ones (Muhlbacher 65). The Four Seasons Hotels does not plan to emphasis on the historic features like its competitors. The hotel strengths is its modern facilities where they include ballrooms
The Four Seasons Hotels strengths are that they access certain things before they invest. The first thing is what is the strength of the market and second is the quality of the site that is proposed. The third one is the investor with whom to work with (Doole 83). They ensure they are committed and have the same objectives just as them. The Four Seasons hotels base its business model on four pillars which are service, quality, and culture and also brand. The company is dedicated to making sure they commit business in a way that they will comply with the law.
The Four Seasons Hotels at its fifth decade continues to grow in size and also in recognition all over the word. They are developing a global luxury brand. They have grown in all continents except one that is Antarctica. They offer exceptional luxury services to their customers worldwide hence building an international brand. The Four Seasons Hotels has made it their goal to involve all their employees and customers in achieving their goal of preserving the environment when providing their services (Muhlbacher 96). Market segmentation is a marketing term that refers to the company dividing consumers according to their needs. This is the reason why the Four Seasons Hotels has different services which are stated in their brochures, the spas mostly attract women and hence made to suit their needs.
Researching on the needs of most consumers which can be categorized on age and sex is a competitive advantage that will enable a company to defeat their competitors once they implement them. The company has been able to have a strong management team and has also applied technology in providing their services (Groucutt 85). Their financial position is quite strong. The company has been able to continue growing and they owe that to their strong brand name which has attracted investors and customers all over the world.
Ten million dollars budget of Four Season Hotels in Europe will be utilized and invested in the Centre of performing Arts, costs to construct and furnish thus making it the most luxurious theatre within Europe. Europe also possesses over fifteen thousand extravagance hotel items that will value $10 million from the mythological Four Seasons hotel at the underlying Avenue Road coupled with Yorkville. The budget for the item will entail the signature old world iron gates from the corresponding restaurant Truffles and the prevailing regency ballroom’s twofold height doors, overelaborate mirrors, wood paneling and century ancient chandeliers. Moreover, the tapestry that is situated thirty second floor, which is backdrop for numerous landmark photographs thus auction. The iconic Four Seasons Hotel is situated within the city’s fashionable Yorkville district is permanently closed down while the 55-storey tower is under construction near the alley. Numerous Europeans utilized the International Film Festival to watch movie. It is also popular destination. Europe is the biggest opera company and presently the home of its peculiar. The budget will increase the prevailing number of the rooms under administration thereby increasing the hotel management by approximately 20.7% within the third quarter. Moreover, RevPAR of the Four Seasons will advanced with at the corresponding Core Hotel. The budget will entail building of the five star hotels at underlying rate of fifteen percent per annum coupled with enhancement of the projects planned for the city of London and New York. Four Seasons possess ninety one luxury properties within numerous countries thus Toronto based company will hire manager to aid in expanding of the hotel and the hotelier. They offer exceptional luxury services to their customers worldwide hence building an international brand. The European Four Seasons Hotels has made it their goal to involve all their employees and customers in achieving their goal of preserving the environment when providing their services.
Activity Amount($)
Advertising $1,500,000
Marketing $500,000
Construction $3,800,000
Maintenance $300,000
Transportation $200,000
Furniture, raw materials and furnishes $2,500,000
Branding $650,000
Licensing/Legal Fees $100,000
Rental/Housing Fees $100,000
Direct Cost $250,000
Indirect Cost $100,000
Total $10,000,000
Customer satisfaction of the European Four Season Hotels is mainly measured in regard to the industry’s measure of the corresponding day to day room rates coupled by the massive occupancies expansion, which have increased by 6.8 percent. The customer normally have extremely good period in the hotels because of its hospitality industry.
Works Cited
Cooper, R. G. Winning at new products: Accelerating the process from idea to launch. Reading, Mass: Perseus, 2011.
Doole, I., & Lowe, R. Strategic marketing: Decisions in global markets. London: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2005.
Doole, I., & Lowe, R. International marketing strategy: Analysis, development and implementation. London: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2008.
Groucutt, J., Forsyth, P., & Leadley, P. Marketing: Essential principles, new realities. London: Kogan Page, 2006.
Mühlbacher, H., Dahringer, L., & Leihs, H. International marketing: A global perspective. London: Thomson Learning, 2006.
Appendix
Sample client satisfaction questions
The guide for the survey for customer that concern Four Seasons Hotel services and the corresponding satisfaction survey of the entire organization will take the subsequent format.
Satisfaction with services accessed or received
In the past 12 months, how frequently have you accessed or received services from Four Season Hotels?
o Weekly
o Monthly
o Every 2-3 months
o Every 4 months or less
Which of the following services have you received or accessed?
o [Insert a list of the services/programs you offer for respondents to select from]
o
o
How would you rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the services you have received or accessed?
Very satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very unsatisfied Not sure
Quality of services delivered Professionalism and gallantry of staff Timeliness of services delivered Your consciousness of this service How satisfied are you overall with the services you received or accessed in the 12 previous months?
o Very satisfied
o Satisfied
o Unsatisfied
o Very unsatisfied
o Not sure
What did you like most about the services you received or accessed?
What do you think we could do to improve our services?
Satisfaction with information resources and communications
How frequently do you entree our information resources as listed below?
Weekly Monthly Every 2-3months Every 6 months or less Never
Website Facebook Twitter E-newsletter How beneficial are our information resources to you?
Very useful Useful Rarely useful Not at all useful Not sure
Website Facebook Twitter E-newsletter How easy is it to find the information you are looking for about our services of the hotel?
o Extremely easy
o Moderately easy
o Quite problematic
o Very problematic
o Not sure
Do you have any comments about our information resources and communications?
